The story is something out of the Jim Crow era: last week, Wall, a Raleigh native due to start grad school at Harvard this fall, and two friends went to the bar and were told by a bouncer that they needed “memberships” to be allowed in. The people in front of them, Wall says, were let in without a hitch. The bouncer ultimately relented after being approached by two police officers. Two members of Wall’s party – Wall and one of his friends – are black.

“This was the first interesting ordeal of the night,” Wall says, “but not the last.”

At one point, Wall was alone at his table when an employee told him to buy a drink or leave.

“I’m just waiting for my friend to come back from the bathroom,” Wall said.

“I don’t care,” the employee replied. “Get a drink or leave right now.” Wall says he noticed he was the only black person in the area at the time. Shortly after the first confrontation, Wall says, things got violent:

After staring me down for about 30 seconds, he walked back over and said “Are you going to buy a drink, or are you going to leave?” I replied, “As soon as my friend comes from the bathroom.” Before I cold utter another word, he grabbed my right wrist and my left arm and threw them behind my head in an effort to constrain me, although I was speaking to him a calm and non-aggressive tone and didn’t once even gesture. He then used excessive force to push me through the crown and out of the club while I was still in this “headlock” of sorts, before pushing me out of the front door. As soon as he grabbed me, I let my body go limp because with the degree of force he was already using, I didn’t want him to think I was trying to fight back. I accepted that he was on an ego-trip, and let him guide me through the club in this position before pushing me out. I was completely shocked and more saddened that this was happening than angry.

After catching up with his black friend outside the club and being dismissed by the bouncer, Wall says he told a police sergeant, who called the attack on him “a very unfortunate occurrence, but not an isolated instance”:

She explained that this happens all the time, and that if she approached the bartender about it, he’d have witnesses that would corroborate whatever story he made up as to why he kicked me out in such an aggressive manner. She then explained that my options were limited because if she proceeded with getting statements from both of us and conducted an investigation, the end result could be worse for me: either it would get dismissed in court, or we would both be charged with what is the equivalent of “fighting” and both have a misdemeanor. She said “He probably has a few charges already, but you’re young with a bright future ahead of you, and you don’t want that on your record.”

As if on cue, the employee who threw Wall out appeared, and told the sergeant he had three witnesses saying they saw Wall throw an elbow at him. When Wall raised the possibility of using security footage to plead his case, he says the sergeant continued to dissuade him, saying there was “no telling” how it would be tampered with.

Wall says he walked away from the situation that night, but upon sharing the story with his family the next day, he discovered his cousin had a similar run-in at the venue:

I told her the name, and she gasped before telling me that earlier that night, she and group of 4 of her friends had tried to go to the same bar (Downtown Sports Grill and Bar) but were told by the bouncer at the front door “I’ve never seen y’all here before. You can’t come in.” Confused, she asked “What?” and he replied “You’re not allowed in here because I’ve never seen you before.” My cousin didn’t feel like arguing or being somewhere she didn’t feel welcome so she and her friends simply walked away. Still, the only common denominator in her and my own dealings with the bar was one single factor: race. We were both African-Americans trying to enter and enjoy a bar that seemed to only welcome those not like us.

Within hours of Wall’s story going online, the restaurant’s Yelp rating took a tremendous hit, with several people posting 1-star reviews and linking back to the original post. Several people have also come forward with stories of their own ugly encounters with bar staff:

I have experienced being turned away by the membership tactic. (I am black). Right after I was turned away three girls (all white) came up and went right in. I asked to see their membership cards and they looked at me like I was crazy. The security guard let me know that he’s never seen me before, and he see them all the time, that’s why I could not come in. I kept looking at the officer standing about two feet away from him, but she did nothing. I tried to raise action, and consulted a lawyer, but she told me I would have no case.

As a white female, I visited downtown sports a year ago and witnessed the EXACT same thing. I was horrified, tried talking to the bouncer (who didn’t want to hear a word from me) and was pushed back into a crowded room. I have never been back.

I know this young man, Jonathan Wall, and if ever one was going to class up a sports bar in the entertainment capital of a two block stretch of pavement & half-full storefronts that is the urban, urbane utopia that is Raleigh, NC, USA it would be Jonathon. Forgive me but I know this area well and I know his treatment is not at all unique. They call it controlling the “atmosphere”. I call it racism. Potato, potahto.

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So your solution is what? For POCs to stay in their place? Don’t go where they’re not wanted? Boy am I glad that this school of thought has not prevailed throughout history. Otherwise, where would I, a Black woman, be?

http://www.facebook.com/alan.horton.7 Alan Horton

And as predicted, as if on cue, the comment section to the MSNBC article contains nothing but stupid, stupid, racism-denying/excusing/standard-issue racist FUCKS defending the club and concocting far fetched hypothetical scenarios “was he sagging?” “it’s a private business!” “rabble rabble Al Sharpton rabble rabble reverse racism rabble!” Humans are discouraging.

Anonymous

Sickening. Where are the reactions from the city political establishment and police? Who allows this bar to have an alcohol permit? Why isn’t this bigger in the media? The silence tells us entirely too much. Thanks for the information, but I have to go throw up.

http://brothawolf.wordpress.com Brotha Wolf

I heard from a source that the bar didn’t want black people there because of a fear of violence as if black people are the only ones who get violent. Again, this is what I was told.

Anyway, I’m not too surprised this happened in North Carolina. It seems like a pretty racist state like South Carolina. I visited Raleigh once for a conference, and I felt the latent racism in the air.

yep, that sounds like downtown Raleigh to me. I went to college in Raleigh and I’m from NC. We never went downtown much because of the same attitudes. The boycott is a good idea, but boycotts have their limitations and contridictions. Do people want the restaurant shut down, or do they want black people to be welcomed in the restaurant? These aren’t the same thing. I’d rather not boycott to be included. That doesn’t make sense. Also, this is just giving the restaurant publicity. So if racists are looking for a good place to get a drink and a bit, then the now know they can go to DTSB.

If people want to sue, or if they just want to put their negative experiences out there, then that works. But I don’t think we should fight to be included in that space. There are other bars. So shut down DTSB, and continue to patronize other spots that are all-inclusive. I know those also exist in downtown Raleigh.

Eva

Whoever owns the bar is an idiot, in this economy, I wouldn’t refuse any person willing to pay. I hope the place closes down, or someone buys it and turns it into a strip club.

Race, Culture, and Identity in a Colorstruck World

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